Locking device for bench drawers



Patented .time 3, 1924.

stares; PATENT oFFlcr..

JOHN B. lOCONIN'OIR'. OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LYON METALLIC MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, F AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

:[OCKIlLlSlG DEVICE F013. IIBENCH DRAWERS.

Application filed February 15, 1919. Serial No. 277,268.

' To a?? whom z'zmay Concern Be it known that I, JOHN B. OCoNNoR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora. in the county of Kane and St-ate of Illinois. have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Locking Devices for Bench Drawers, of which the following is a specification.

M v invention relates to locking devices for drawers for benches, tables and the like. One of the chief uses of m v device is for drawers for shops and factories. It is quite common in present day factory equipment to furnish oneor more drawers for each of the employees in whichhe may keep his tools and other belongings.v Drawers of this kind are. stock articles in' the sense that they may be purchased separate from the benches or tables with which they are ultimately used. It is highly desirable that these drawers may be locked and that the respective employees have their own individual keys. But some users prefer padlocks while others prefer rim or cabinet locks which are "fastened to the inside of the )front of the drawer.I The object of my inventionfis to provide means by, which either type may be employed by the purchaser without requiring any different kind of equipment.- Briefly. I accomplish this by providing a reverslble locking bar, strike bar, or jamb plate, one end of which is adapted to coopera-te with a pad lock, and the other end is adapted toJ cooperate with a rim lock. Another object is'to provide a strike bar or jamb plate so constructed that itwill, in either of v its positions. limitthe extent to which the drawer may be drawn out: also the distance to which it may be pushed inward.

I. accomplish my' object by the 'construction illustrated in the accompanying drawin s in whichigure 1 is a perspective view of ,the

complete device embodying the invention. Figure 2 is aI transverse vertical sect-ion of the. parts'taken thru the strike bar or jamb plate. i

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional elevation showinof the clip adjusted for use in connectionwith a padlock and,

Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3, but shows the clip adjusted for use with a rim lock.

Like numerals denote like `parts thruout the several views.-

In .the form selected to illustrate the invention a drawer cover or plate 1 is provided with means for fastening it to the underslde of a table or bench top 2 shown in F lgure 2. The fastening means may be varied. but in the present case an angle bar 3 is fastened to the rear end of the plate, the bar being apertured to receive screws or other fastening devices.- At the front the plate is folded back upon itself to form a reinforcing strip 5, said strip projecting beyond the sides of the plate and being apertured to receive screws or other fastening devices. Either expedient, however, may be employed' at both ends.

In the preferred form, the plate is of sheet metal, and has channels 6 formed at its lateral edges to receive the flanges 7 formed at the lateral edges of the sidewalls 8 of theI drawer. These support and guide the drawer. The preferred arrangement is shown in Figure 2, and it will be observed that the plate forms a complete cover for "the drawer when the latter ,is closed, and

thel depending flange 3a at. the bar 3 forms a stop for limiting the movement of the drawer. This however, is nonessential, and the inward movement of the drawer may be terminated by the locking bar 18 or lock strike presently to be described. The drawer has a front 10 and a back I1, the front having a slot 12.

' The locking bar 18 consists preferably of l26` may [bef attached to hold the drawer a stiff piece of strap or sheet iron and has depending lips lat either end. The lip 20 at one end is plain. while the lip 21 has -a tongue 22 extending outward from its lower Y end for projecting thru the slot 12 when the drawer is closed. The tongue has an aperture 24 thru which the bow 25 of a padlock locked. v

-The cover plate 1 has a transverse slot 28 a short distance from the front end and by preference a second slot 29 parallel to it and at or near the front end. These slots are for receiving the lips 20, 21 and by reference to Figures 3 and 4 it will be seen that the bar may be inserted with either end forward.

vIt .is desirable that the plate have a countersink 30 into which the bar may drop and when seated will beush with the top of the plate.

It is frequently desirable to employ an auxiliary tray or drawer 35 within the main drawer. T hls is #,rlwged for by forming internal ribs 36, 36 in the sides of the drawer. These not only form supports and uides for the inner drawer but stiden the drawer itself. f

In practice, the manufacturer ships the drawers, cover plates and locking bars to the jobber or direct to the customer but usually is not advised as to what kind of lock is to be employed. Then the consigni `ment reaches the ultimate user, the latter and when the bow of the padlock is passed thru the aperture 24 the drawer will be locked to the bar and cannot be drawn forward. But if it is decided to use a rim lock 38, as shown in Figure 4, the bar is adjusted as shown in Figure 4, the plain lip 20 being foremost where it may be engaged by the bolt 39 of the lock, as illustrated. The lock is fastened in any suitable manner but by preference the drawer has three knockouts, the center knockout 40 being adapted to receive the keyhole boss 41 of the lock and the two side knockouts 42, 42 being adapted to receive the rivets or other fastenings for holding the lock in place.

As a result of my invention it is unnecessary for the manufacturer to know what type of lock the customer will use. The same locking bar may be used for a padlock or for a rimlock by suitably adjusting the bar before the cover plate is fastened 'm place. The bar cannot be thereafter removed, except by removing the plate bodily from the bottom of the bench or table. lVhile the flange 3 of the rear bar 3 constitutes a stop, it may be dispensed with, for it will be noted that the lips (20 or 21, as the case'may be) form stops adapted to limit both the inward and the outward movement of the drawer. If no locking devices are desired the bar 18 is turned with the plain end foremost and as the knockouts 40 and 42 will not be removed there is no disiguring of the front of the drawer. Therefore, it is not necessary to use any locking devices and yet if a klocking device is desired either the padlock type. or rim type may be employed without altering the construction of the apparatus itself, or requiring the maker o'r dealer to keep alternate forms on hand.

In some cases it is desirable that the locking bar 18 have independent fastening means for securing it directly to the bottom of the bench or table.v For this purpose I form a hole 45 in the bar. By passing a screw thru it and screwing it into the bench or table from beneath, the bar will be securely held independently of the cover plate 1.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a drawer structure, a strike bar adapted to be mounted above the drawer. lengthwise thereof. and having a depending lip at each end adapted to extend down into the drawer, the inner lip being adapted to limit the outward movement of the drawer and the outer one to limit its inward movement. Y

2. In a drawer structure, a strike bar having a transverse depending lip at each end adapted to extend down into the drawer. the inner lip being adapted to limit the outward movement of the drawer and the outer one to limit its inward movement, and a supporting plate for said strike bar, said plate having transverse slots arranged one behind the other in line with the length of the drawer and eac-h being adapted to accommodate either of the lips whereby the strike bar may be mounted with either end forward.

3. In a drawer structure, a strike bar adapted to be mounted above the drawer, lengthwise thereof, and having a depending lip at each end adapted to extend down into the drawer, the inner lip being adapted to limit the outward movement of the drawer and the outer one to limit its-inward movement, the drawer having a slot in the front and one of the lips of the strike bar having a horizontal extension adapted to penetrate the slot in the front of the drawer for -attachment to a padlock or similar device, and means for reversibly supporting said bar whereby it may be reversed end for end.

4. In a drawer structure, a strike bar adapted to be mounted above the drawer and having a dependent lip at each end adapted to extend down into the drawer, the inner lip being adapted to limit the outward movement of the drawer and the outer one adapted to limit its inward movement, and a plate adapted to be fastened above the drawer, and to have the strike bar overlie it, said plate having slots for accommodating the depending lips of the bar.

5. In a drawing structure, a strike bar adapted to be mounted above the drawer and having a dependent lip at each end adapted to extend down into the drawer, the inner lip being adapted to limit the outward movement of the drawer and the outer one adapted to limit its inward movement, and a plate adapted to be fastened above the drawer, said plate having a depression for accommodating the body of the strike bar and holding its upper surface approximately flush with the upper surface of the plate, the plate of the plate,

having slots for accommodating the depending lips of the bar.

6. In a drawer structure, a strike bar adapted to be mounted above the drawer and having a dependent lip at each end adapted to extend down into the drawer,'the inner lip being adapted to limit the outward movement of the drawer and the outer one adapted to limit its inward movement, and a plate adapted to be fastened above the drawer, said plate being adapted to support the bar and having means for guiding and supporting the drawer. l

7. In a drawer Jstructure of the type in which a cover plate is adapted to support and guide the drawer, a strike bar having depending lips adapted to extend down into the body of the drawer, one of the lips having a tongue adapted to project through a slot in the front of the drawer when the drawer is closed, said stop being adapted to take a lock for preventing the opening of the drawer, said locking bar being reversible end for end, and adapted to seat in the top said plate having slots for accommodating said lips.

7 8. In a drawer` structure a jamb plate consisting of a substantially U-shaped member adapted'to be mounted above the drawer body and extending' into the same, Said j amb plate adapted to be engaged both by the front and rear of the drawer body and provided with a horizontal extension adapted to extend through the front of the drawer and be engaged by a suitable lock.l

9. In a drawer structure a jamb plate consisting of an inverted substantially U-shaped memberI adapted to be mounted above the drawer body and extending into the same, said jamb plate adapted to be engaged by the upper edges of both the front and rear walls of the drawer body, one of the parallel members of said U-shaped member adapted to be also engaged by the retractable element of a lock positioned inside said drawer body.

l0. In combination with a drawer having a slot in the front thereof, means for limiting the inward and outward movement of the drawer consisting' of a strap formed -with flanges at opposite ends thereof, a latwithin the path of movement of said drawer' and adapted to receive a padlock when said drawer is closed.

12. In a drawer having a front wall provided with an opening,

a suitable member mounted above the drawer body, said member having a lateral extension that projects through said opening and is provided with an aperture adapted to receive a suitable lock.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

Y. JOI-IN B. OCONNOR.

means for locking said drawer 1n closed posltion comprisingr 

